Passenger vehicles, such as automobiles and aircraft, often provide entertainment systems to satisfy passenger demand for entertainment during travel.
Conventional passenger entertainment systems typically include video display systems, such as overhead cabin display systems or seatback display systems, and audio presentation systems, such as overhead speaker systems or headphones, for presenting viewing content. Individual controls also can be provided at the passenger seats for selecting viewing content for presentation. Including audio and video materials, the viewing content can be derived from a variety of content sources. For example, prerecorded viewing content, such as motion pictures and music, can be provided by internal sources, such as audio and video players, that are installed in the vehicle. The conventional passenger entertainment systems likewise can include antenna and receiver systems for receiving viewing content, such as live television programming, transmitted from one or more external content providers (or sources).
Such conventional passenger entertainment systems, however, suffer from many disadvantages. Installation of conventional passenger entertainment systems, for instance, can involve the addition of a significant amount of weight to the vehicle. The fuel economy of the vehicle thereby can be adversely affected. Also, conventional passenger entertainment systems provide limited viewing content and limited communications between the vehicle and the external content sources, particularly during travel.
When installed on vehicles, such as aircraft, that travel internationally, conventional passenger entertainment systems further require frequent adjustments or changes during travel. If the passenger entertainment system has an antenna system for receiving direct broadcast satellite (DBS) television programming, for example, the antenna system must be adjusted or replaced with a different antenna system upon entering each new geographic region to receive viewing content within the new geographic region. The need to make adjustments or changes to the antenna system is not only inconvenient for vehicle operators, but also to the passengers by disrupting reception of the viewing content and causing unwanted travel delays.
In view of the foregoing, a need exists for an improved passenger entertainment system that overcomes the aforementioned obstacles and deficiencies of currently-available passenger entertainment systems.
It should be noted that the figures are not drawn to scale and that elements of similar structures or functions are generally represented by like reference numerals for illustrative purposes throughout the figures. It also should be noted that the figures are only intended to facilitate the description of the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure. The figures do not describe every aspect of the present disclosure and do not limit the scope of the disclosure.